There are a few ways you might have expected the Superman trailer to open, but you probably wouldn't ever have expected to see the iconic DC superhero at his lowest.
We've finally been treated to the first trailer for James Gunn's new take on Superman and it opens with the hero crashing to the ground. He's bloodied and bruised after some unknown encounter, and really not looking in great shape.
He can't even move without whistling for Krypto's help to get "home" and doesn't look like he's saving the world anytime soon.
At a trailer preview event for Superman, which Digital Spy attended, Gunn explained the decision behind the bold opening. "I think that was important to be able to see that he's up against something which can hurt him," he said.
Related: James Gunn defends including Superman's red trunks
"And so to see him in a vulnerable moment, they go, 'Wow, oh yeah'. That is something a lot of people see the trailer go, 'Oh my gosh, I haven't seen that before'. So we have a little blood coming out of his mouth, what the heck? Where's that coming from?"
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Luckily, Superman has Krypto on hand to help him, but Gunn added that the superhero dog isn't as much of a good boy as he appears in the trailer.
"I think you'll see in the movie that Krypto probably comes off as a better dog in the trailer than he is in the movie, he's a pretty terrible dog," he joked. "You love him because you know he's a dog and how can you not, but he's a terrible dog."
Related: Superman's first trailer has finally arrived
Gunn didn't reveal exactly who or what has left Superman in such a state, but did tease that the new movie will explore exactly who the hero is and what he represents.
"His heritage is a big part of what the movie is is about, his genealogy is a part of what the movie is about and how he incorporates that into his life," he noted.
"Superman is a very human character despite his alien descent, what makes him special in a way, and that makes him important beyond what his powers are, where he came from, what's important is his character.
"What's important is who he is, his choices, and I think we see that in the film. But it's definitely not something that we skirt around, the fact that he's an alien."
Ahead of the trailer's release, Gunn also defended the decision to include Superman's red trunks in the new movie.
Superman is released in cinemas on July 11, 2025.
Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
